


Time Travel at It's Worst

by TheTartWitch



Category: Naruto
Genre: Time Travel, coughing up blood, may prompt hokage-bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 09:19:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4386365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTartWitch/pseuds/TheTartWitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto's future and Naruto's present collide in the worst way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time Travel at It's Worst

12-year-old Naruto Uzumaki stands at attention in his Hokage's office, trademark grin in place and calloused hands clenched tirelessly behind his head. Sasuke and Sakura are yelling at him, trying to get him to apologize for the level of disrespect he's showing to their Hokage, but he's unrepentent.  
15 years in the future, Naruto Uzumaki stands in the exact same spot as his younger counterpart, excepting the fact that his stance is professional and the words Jiji are in no way part of his dictionary anymore. He clutches a scroll in both hands as though it's a lifeline, and even though he knows this is all he's good for anymore (testing potentially dangerous maneuvers because he has the chakra to spare) he can't help the flicker of panic and sadness inside. He's very careful not to let it show, however.  
"You know what to do, Uzumaki-san." The Hokage intones, and he gulps subtly, nods reluctantly, and presses one shaking palm to the seal etched into the scroll.  
The effects are immediate: Naruto is gone.  
But 15 years in the past, Naruto Uzumaki (now at the back of the Hokage's office and sulking in sullen silence) coughs quietly. No one notices, really, and he thinks nothing of it until he pulls his sleeve away from his mouth and his eyes go wide.   
The sleeve's dappled with blood-red spots, like teardrops, and he struggles to understand. It's beyond him, the cause for those drops, until he coughs again, nearly hacking with it, and his whole body spasms, making him painfully ( _horribly_ ) aware of the coppery liquid forcing it's way up his throat.  
This time, Sakura turns in exasperation, certain he's trying some new way of getting their attention and ready to reprimand him thoroughly. What she sees makes her scream and back into the Hokage's desk, trying desperately to escape the smell and tang of the blood coating the floor in front of Naruto. His blue eyes are staring at her, and he opens his mouth again, just as everyone's focus shifts to him, and they can all see the rising tide of crimson and bone-white in the back of his throat.  
Just as every ninja in the room starts forward, hands outstretched (as if pulling him away from that _one  spot_ will save him), a crackling ball of chakra and bloody energy sparks into life around him, caging the convulsing boy and locking everyone else out.

Sakura shrieks again, Sasuke gapes (because his teammate's _dying_  and he's unable to do a _thing_ ), and Naruto moans, clapping stained hands to his ears.  
A voice builds up between them, sounding a little like his but older and more broken, with nothing left and nothing more, and then it's words:  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, please, I _tried_ , I can't do anything more-" and it's only when Naruto's eyes notice everyone else watching something writhe behind him that he turns himself, and he's mouthing the words too, knowing what's coming next and knowing how this all will end and screaming because he didn't get enough _time_. But more time is what caused this, isn't it? His future failings resulted in this, and it's all his fault, and he moans in time with the man (the _ghost_ ) behind him who's sobbing. Naruto kneels to retch again and lets himself come back up mouthing the words and crying a little, because they ring so _true_  and he's so _sad_.  
"Please, forgive me, I'm begging you, I did all you asked and I can give no more, PLEASE!"  
And that's when Naruto's face, tear-streaked and empty and dead inside, begins to melt off his bones with horrid little crackling sounds, like fire beneath the skin.  
This time, it's Sasuke who screams.   
And it's Naruto who laughs.  
 _He's free._


End file.
